Middle-Age New Recruit, MD

A stateline doctor has been serving his patients for almost 30 years. Soon he will serve his country as well.

He is still in the middle of a successful career as an emergency room physician, but now Dr. Gebler wants to use his talents to fulfill another part of his life by joining the Army Reserves.

“There is quite a need for emergency physicians within the Army. They're in need of all kinds of physicians within the Army, but it is referred to as a critical wartime specialty,” Dr. Laurence Gebler said.

Though it isn't a guarantee, there is a very good chance that Dr. Gebler will be shipped overseas. His entire family has a strong sense of duty and is proud of what he is doing, but there are still concerns.

“It’s never fun being apart, so that's always a concern, and also if he does go into harm’s way, I don’t want him to get hurt; it's going to be tough,” said Nancy Gebler, Dr. Gebler’s wife.

About 70 percent of a doctor’s time overseas is spent treating indigenous people, not American soldiers. Dr. Gebler says those people often include the enemy, possibly Iraqi insurgents, men who rather jump out of the bed and kill the very doctor that is threatening them than receive lifesaving medical attention.

“The way I look at is they're just as sick as anybody else. They're human beings, I know how to take care of them, out so I’m going to use those skills,” said Dr. Gebler.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.